Mountaineering commission

The Mountaineering commission deals with techniques, ethics and regulations of mountaineering. We have two working groups, the Training Standards Working Group and the The Legal Experts Working Group (LEWG).

You can find a list of our members here  

Techniques

We have developed and regulate the UIAA Guidebook standards which give criteria for books that can be used by climbers from other countries. We have also developed Training Standards and assess member associations’ training schemes for voluntary leaders and instructors. Approved guide books and training programmes can use the UIAA logo. 

Ethics

We have been active in the process of writing UIAA documents on climbing and mountaineering ethics. We led the work on the UIAA Summit charter  for the International Year of Mountains 2002. This was a document with proposals for cooperation with governments and international bodies in order to promote the contribution of mountaineering, climbing and trekking in achieving sustainable development in mountains.

The Mountaineering Commission has also been involved for many years in the development and the promotion of the Tyrol Declaration. This is a set of values and maxims which gives guidance on best practice in mountain sports. It lays out ethical principles and standards of conduct for mountaineers.  We hope that the Tyrol declaration in the future will be approved by the General Assembly.

We also monitor and discuss the use of fixed equipment for climbing, particularly at vulnerable areas, such as archaeological sites. We have developed a discussion paper on this issue. 

Legal issues

We cooperate with the anti doping commission and the Access and conservation commission on the right to enjoy mountains and sports. Our Legal Experts Working Group assesses and makes recommendation especially on questions of liability for federations and individuals. You can find a report on this topic here.   We focus on the exchange of knowledge on legal cases between countries, assist the Federations and plan to gather an “expert witnesses’ corps” of people who can witness in mountaineering court cases.  We have written Installer’s Guide and a Users’ Guide to bolt protection to explain the liability issues regarding fixed equipment.